Make It: Pool Noodle Catapult

Catapults are super fun DIY toys for kids, but many versions are super hard to build. Not this one! This pool noodle catapult is fun, easy and quickly built from noodles and rubber bands. It’s big enough for little hands to play with and soft enough for indoor play.

For this project you’ll need:

2 Pool Noodles

4 Large Rubber Bands

1 Sharp Bread Knife

Cotton Balls

Scrap Paper

Foil

Cut the pool noodles in half–I used a really sharp serrated bread knife for this job, but you could also use a utility knife. (Obviously a parent’s should be doing the cutting.)

Carve a notch into the end of one noodle. This is the throwing arm of the catapult and the notch is where you’ll put the ammunition.

Take three of the noodle sections and rubber band them together at both ends. This is the base.

Attach the throwing arm to the base. Ideally, you would loop one really big rubber band around the throwing arm and the base, but our rubber bands weren’t big enough. We tied two bands together. Make sure the notch of the throwing arm is facing upward when you’re done.

Wad up pieces of paper and aluminum foil to make ammunition for the catapult. You can also use cotton balls, but they won’t go far. Run some tests and see what material goes the farthest!

You can make the catapult more powerful by shortening the throwing arm–we had to remove a few inches before our catapult worked well. The shorter the arm, the stronger the throw.

Tweet Me!

I’m an Amazon Affiliate

Hey guys! Missouri is now allowed to participate in the Amazon Affiliate program! So, just FYI: I'm a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.